McKenzie condemns murder of homeless man in St Mary

Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie has strongly condemned the murder of a homeless man in Port Maria, St Mary on Sunday.

The body of O'Neil Collin was found with the throat slashed near the Port Maria Police Station.

“He was well-known to the St Mary Poor Relief Department and was a regular user of the Drop-In Centre in the parish. Indeed, staff members of the Poor Relief Department were on a routine assignment to feed homeless persons when they encountered the tragic scene, which the police had started to process,” said McKenzie in a statement.

“O'Neil Collin was known as a quiet, unassuming man who largely kept to himself and had no known conflict with anyone. It is beyond baffling as to why anyone would want to hurt him, much more to destroy him in this heinous way,” he added.

The local government minister described the murder as a terrible act.

McKenzie went on to say that he is also concerned about reports that another homeless person was beaten and is now in hospital.

“Our homeless men and women are citizens of Jamaica and their lives are no less valuable than our people who enjoy a better standard of living. I urge anyone who may have witnessed what happened to provide the police with any available facts. No civilised society can allow acts such as these to go by the wayside.

“While we do not yet know the circumstances of Collin's death, I want to urge our homeless population to use the night shelters regularly not only for food and hygiene but also for security.”

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